Will believe starlet has been killed only after seeing the body: police

Adopting a cautious approach, the crime branch of the Mumbai police refused to give in to the reports of Bollywood starlet Laila Khan’s murder in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in the absence of substantial evidence to back it.

Khan, along with her five relatives, went missing in February 2011. They were last seen in Igatpuri near Nashik with Pervez Tak, apparently her mother’s boyfriend, in February 2011. While leaving from the spot, they had allegedly told the caretaker of their house in Igatpuri that they are heading to Kishtwar in Jammu for a wedding and would return in two months. When they failed to return, Khan’s father Nadir Patel filed a missing person’s complaint at the Oshiwara police station.

Recently, there were reports that a vehicle owned by the Khan family was used for terror activities and was found in Kishtwar in Jammu. Tak, a Kashmiri native, was arrested by the J&K police in connection with the case.

Following the reports, on July 4, Patel lodged a complaint alleging kidnapping by Tak and Khan’s stepfather Asif Shaikh.

Officials said that they would believe that Khan has been murdered only if Tak shows them her body. They clarified that they were investigating the case filed by Patel and the fire at Khan’s house in Igatpuri after they went missing.

The officials said that they would begin a probe into the alleged murder and terror links once they get Tak to Mumbai.

Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police, crime, said: “A team of the crime branch of the Mumbai police has reached J&K with a production warrant to get the custody of Tak in connection with the kidnapping case registered with the Oshiwara police station.”

Sources in the crime branch said that they could get the custody by Friday evening and would get Tak to the city by Saturday or Sunday.

But, this would depend on the court in J&K and whether the J&K police are willing to hand over the custody, the source added.

Officials said the director general of police (Maharashtra), K Subramanyam, has asked the crime branch to take over the probe.